What's happened to Chris Martin?

[Craig]

Injuries, poor form? Or no spot for him in the NZ team? David and I were talking about this on MSN yeasterday or the day before and he did say he is tall, accurate but not quick and hits the deck hard.

He is perhaps a worse of a batsman then Glenn McGrath and that probably takes some achievement!

 

[Richard]

I've seen plenty of worse batsmen than Glenn McGrath - those who mad their living by bowling a cricket ball.
About Martin - accurate? You having a laugh?

 

[iamdavid]

About Martin - accurate? You having a laugh?

No :P

I saw him play that series against Pakistan & the test at Perth in 2001/02 , he looked pretty decent to me , he was accurate (not Pollock/McGrath accurate , but still pretty good) , he had a great seam position & he hit the deck very hard , only just above medium pace but I had a lot of time for him.

As Craig said I was just wondering where he went , perhaps Tim could enlighten us???

 

[Richard]

I saw him play that series against Pakistan & the test at Perth in 2001/02 , he looked pretty decent to me , he was accurate (not Pollock/McGrath accurate , but still pretty good) , he had a great seam position & he hit the deck very hard , only just above medium pace but I had a lot of time for him.

Well I saw him too - in the Second Test against England and in that same WACA game. He looked accurate to me in neither; OK compared to Bond, Tuffey, Butler and Drum who had all played recently (or were playing in the same game), but still nowhere near accurate enough.
Seam-position is the most important thing for a seamer, especially a Kiwi, but it's still not everything - you need accuracy too. IMO Martin doesn't have it in the quality needed for Test-cricket.

 

[Langeveldt]

I think i last saw him in SA, he impressed me and reminded me of Andy Caddick slightly.. Maybe some NZ'ers who are more in the know could fill us into where he has gone

 

[Swanny]

I heard he started a band and was rumoured to have married a blond American actress

 

[Tim]

Chris Martin did actually have a future at test level...Richard you seem to judge players on 1 or 2 matches, you should become a selector.

However Martin has not performed well at FC level for awhile now so he hasn't really had any justification of being selected.

 

[marc71178]

Chris Martin did actually have a future at test level...Richard you seem to judge players on 1 or 2 matches, you should become a selector.

I say not for my country, and expect Aussies and South Africans to agree.

 

[THE MINGSTER]

Many have surpassed Chris Martin now.

Michael Mason, Jacob Oram, Jeff Wilson, Kerry Walmsely, Ian Butler....

 

[iamdavid]

I say not for my country, and expect Aussies and South Africans to agree.

Maybe the PCB will hire him

 

[Craig]

I hope Bond gets back soon.

He is a better bowler then what you probably give him credit for Richard (Well he is probably NZ's strike bowler) and Daryl Tuffey is probably NZ's best seamer.

 

[Rich2001]

Chris Martin did actually have a future at test level...Richard you seem to judge players on 1 or 2 matches, you should become a selector.

However Martin has not performed well at FC level for awhile now so he hasn't really had any justification of being selected.

Wasn't it Chris Martin that retired at one point? Or iam I thinking of smeone else, it was a little while back now but I remember at the time thinking why retire so young when you've been in the team just a few months earier.

 

[Rik]

Wasn't it Chris Martin that retired at one point? Or iam I thinking of smeone else, it was a little while back now but I remember at the time thinking why retire so young when you've been in the team just a few months earier.

I'm pretty sure that was Chris Drum, just when he had a certain place in the side! Martin played one Test in Drum's last series, against England, and hasn't really been seen since if I remember correctly. Martin had a very good start to his Test career, ashame he didn't push on.

 

[Rich2001]

I'm pretty sure that was Chris Drum, just when he had a certain place in the side! Martin played one Test in Drum's last series, against England, and hasn't really been seen since if I remember correctly. Martin had a very good start to his Test career, ashame he didn't push on.

Yeah that could very well be the feller

 

[iamdavid]

Wasn't it Chris Martin that retired at one point? Or iam I thinking of smeone else, it was a little while back now but I remember at the time thinking why retire so young when you've been in the team just a few months earier.

Yep
He retired in 2000 because he wanted to go to Europe , but then someone talked sense into him & soon he was playing against Pakistan.

 

[Richard]

Drum certainly retired after the England 2001\02 series and is still retired AFAIK, didn't know about Martin's temporary retirement but his last Test was certainly in that same series.
It is a shame you get all these Kiwis retiring so young; Parore of course after that same series yet again, and all those seamers through injury.
What is it about New Zealand that attracts so many early retirements? Could any of our resident Kiwis work that out? Is it the case in other fields?

 

[Craig]

A variety of reasons Richard.

Injury, job comittments, other stuff like that. Bond is actully a cop and Vettori was going to be a phamaist before cricket came inthe way.

And this was before better contract conditions there is now.

 

[Richard]

I knew Bond was a policeman before he started cricket but does he seriously do the two simualtaneosly?

 

[nibbs]

Chris Martin is just too crap. Its as simple as that. He's had many chances, at the top, but hasn't provided the goods when it counted. He's has his moments, but not nearly enough. Although in saying that Lou Vincent has made two test centuries, which IMO, are the only things keeping him in the team. He is crap and should be dropped. Why he's still there is a complete mystery.

 

[Craig]

I knew Bond was a policeman before he started cricket but does he seriously do the two simualtaneosly?

No, he he started off in cricket, joined the NZ policeforce and but no it would be too hard to do them.

The NZC wouldnt be too impressed.